Deal IDs and Direct Supply

How advertisers buy specific inventory at negotiated terms. Types, negotiation, execution, measurement, PMP vs PG.

Why deal IDs matter

Deal IDs are how advertisers buy specific inventory at negotiated terms. The alternative is open exchange, which has quality, brand safety, and supply path issues. Mature programmatic buyers use deal IDs heavily for premium inventory.

Deal types

• Open Exchange. Public auction; broad supply.
• PMP (Private Marketplace). Negotiated price floor + audience access; auction still runs.
• Preferred Deal. Fixed price; priority access; auction skipped.
• Programmatic Guaranteed (PG). Fixed volume + fixed price; reservation-based.

Deal negotiation

• Publisher direct or via SSP.
• CPM floor (PMP) or fixed CPM (PD/PG).
• Inventory specifics (placement, format, geography, audience).
• Volume commitments.
• Targeting parameters.
• Creative specs.
• Reporting and pacing requirements.

Execution

• Deal ID input into DSP.
• Bid strategy aligned with deal terms.
• Pacing critical for PG (commitment-driven).
• Creative QA before launch.
• Performance monitoring against deal commitments.

Measurement

• Delivery against committed volume.
• Effective CPM vs negotiated CPM.
• Quality metrics (viewability, completion).
• Brand lift if applicable.
• Sales lift for performance-oriented deals.

Quality vs open

• Premium publisher inventory.
• Verified content adjacency.
• Brand safety standards.
• Often higher viewability.
• Reduced fraud risk.
• Higher CPMs.

PMP vs PG

• PMP: Auction runs; price floor; volume not guaranteed.
• PG: Fixed price; volume guaranteed; no auction.
• PMP for flexibility; PG for commitment.
• Brand campaigns often PG; performance often PMP or open.

Advanced playbook

• Deal ID library managed by ops team.
• Quarterly publisher relationship reviews.
• Deal performance vs open exchange benchmarking.
• PG for tentpole campaigns.
• PMP for ongoing scale with quality.
• Supply path optimization through deal IDs.
• Annual deal portfolio review.
• Direct publisher relationships supplemental.
• Cross-DSP deal ID portability where possible.
• Deal naming and documentation discipline.

Common mistakes

• Open exchange only; missing premium inventory.
• Deal IDs without performance benchmarking.
• PG without pacing discipline; under-delivery.
• Negotiated CPM not validated against effective.
• Deal terms not documented.
• Cross-DSP deal portability not assessed.
• Publisher relationships transactional only.
• Quality metrics not compared.
• Annual portfolio review absent.
• Supply path through unnecessary intermediaries.

Operating checklist

• Deal ID library maintained
• Quarterly publisher relationships reviewed
• Deal performance benchmarked vs open
• Pacing monitored (PG especially)
• Negotiated vs effective CPM tracked
• Deal terms documented
• Quality metrics compared
• Supply path optimized
• Annual deal portfolio review
• Cross-DSP portability assessed

Part of the Programmatic / CTV series.